"Hey Sam, over here!"

Squinting in the rather dim light of the hotel bar, Sam caught sight of Jane waving her over to the table where the rest of the office staff where seated, clustered around several booths. Marshmellow's 'Happier' mingled with the chatter of voices to create a cheerful ambience.

As she neared, weaving her way through tables filled mostly with familiar faces, most of them acknowledged her arrival with smiles and waves and more than one drunken cheer.

Still, it was Ryan's appreciative gaze that sent butterflies dancing in her stomach. He was seated at one of the booths, arms resting on the table, a glass of spirits cradled in his big hands as he watched her approach.

Blue eyes did a thorough perusal of her from head to toe, a gleam Sam was all too familiar with appearing in his heated gaze as he took in the short black dress that lovingly hugged her curves, stopping just mid thigh to reveal bare legs that ended in silver high heeled sandals. The look in his eyes made the long trip back home to shower and change before meeting the rest of the PD department for celebratory drinks worthwhile.

Her skin prickled with the heat of his desire as she walked over, careful to keep her expression mild, mindful of the audience around them even though every fibre of her being burned with sexual awareness that almost made it difficult to string two coherent thoughts together.

"Hello everyone." She aimed a wide smile that emcompassed everyone at the table, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ears. "Sorry I'm late, my meeting ran a little later than anticipated."

To say that Yash had been displeased by her decision to move, and even more grumpy when shed told him she'd already found a place would be a gross understatement. Her brother had grumbled and argued with her decision until Dee and Sam had finally worn him down, answering each one of his arguments with a logical answer until he'd been reduced to glaring at them both and muttering about stubborn women under his breath.

Honestly, thank goodness for Dee, or that would have gone on forever. But like she'd hoped, the idea of having his girlfriend move in had done the trick with Yash.

In the midst of it, Sam had gotten a text from Jane letting her know the department would be going out for celebratory drinks after winning the Caine contract. Ryan had given the staff the rest of the day off for those who wanted to go home and refresh first and Sam had decided to take advantage of that.

And from the looks of it, most of the female staff had had the same idea too, most now dressed in evening wear and fresh makeup.

"No need to apologise," Brian, the senior architect waved away her apology. His face already had the reddened tint of someone who'd indulged in one too many drinks.

"Here, I saved a seat for you." Jane lifted a black purse from the chair beside her and motioned for Sam to take the seat, which incidentally was next to Ryan.

Ryan, who hadn't said a word since she'd arrived, but hadn't taken his eyes off her.

He was still dressed in work clothes, though he'd ditched the jacket and tie, leaving only the light blue shirt underneath with the sleeves rolled up to expose nicely tanned muscular forearms - a sexy casual look that suited him so well, she was damn sure she wasn't the only female in this room having fantasies about feeling up those arms and being held in a passionate embrace.

Sliding into the chair, she let her gaze run over him hungrily.

Fortunately for Sam; and unfortunately for the other thirsty females, she had firsthand knowledge of what it felt like to be held in those arms, to have those fingers touch her most intimate places until she was a writhing, panting mess.

Get a grip, woman, there are people watching.

"Hey,"

The single word, uttered just loud enough for her ears only was packed with so much heat; a delicious shiver ran down Sam's spine and it became so damned hard to keep a neutral expression. His body heat literally singed her skin, and a flush crept up her cheeks.

"You look incredible."

Dammit, she wanted to crawl into his lap and kiss him senseless! And from the look he was giving her, he was as affected as she was. It also didn't help that they were seated so close, their thighs brushed as she shifted in her seat.

"Thanks," she murmured, then took a deep breath and forced her gaze away from him, trying to ignore the point of contact. Fortunately, Fraser, one of the engineers, had volunteered to get a fresh round of drinks and everyone was busy placing their orders.

As Sam placed hers, Ryan leaned close again, his breath washing over her ear.

"Don't drink too much, sweetheart." He growled softly, sending every nerve ending on high alert. "I need you sober for what I have in mind later."

Oh sweet god!

Sam gasped, and to her mortification, an honest to goodness whimper slipped past her lips, even as liquid warmth flooded her panties at the mental image those words conjured. Thank heavens for the dim lighting in the room.

Would it look suspicious if they snuck out right now? The answer was probably yes, but right now, she was willing to say to hell with it and drag him back to his place.

"Behave." She murmured, shooting him a side glance.

"Twenty minutes" he murmured back, grey eyes glinting dangerously. "We stay here for just twenty minutes and then get the hell out of here."

"Two hours" She countered and a stubborn look entered his eyes.

"One." His tone brooked no arguments and frankly, Sam was in total agreement.

Fraser returned with the drinks and the next few minutes passed with several people raising toasts. Sam carefully sipped her drink, proud of herself for managing normal conversations, resisting the urge to check the time. Beside her, Ryan laughed and joked as well, though occasionally, his hands would brush against her bare thigh, with the lightest of strokes, just enough to keep her off balance.

Just then, Nadia, a young, pretty graphics designer piped up. "Who's up for a game?"

There were collective groans from the others.

"We're playing 'Never have I ever'." She went on, choosing to ignore the groans with a flip of her blonde hair.

"I'm sure everyone knows how it works, right? If you've done what's been said, you take a sip of your drink.."

"Hey, my glass is almost empty." Someone called out in protest.

"Fresh rounds for everyone!" Ryan announced lifting his glass in a toast. He stood, sweeping his gaze over their table, his gaze coming to rest on Sam. "I'll get the drinks this time."

"I'll go with." Nadia chimed in, giving Ryan a flirty smile.

Sam watched them head to the bar, noticing how close Nadia stuck to him. At some point, she seemed to stumble, but grabbed onto Ryan's arm instead, giggling madly. It was an obvious ploy, but Ryan didn't seem to mind the fact that the girl's boobs were all but plastered against his arm.

"That's one lucky bastard." Brian's voice drew Sam's attention from the pair to find him also looking in the same direction, a wistful look on his face. "I'd give my eye teeth to have a chick like that come on to me."

Sam wasn't sure how to answer that and merely gave him a sympathetic smile while her gaze wandered back to the bar. Now, Nadia was leaning against the bar, elbows propped on the sleek marble as she stood next to him, chattering away - a pose that pushed out young, perky breasts to full advantage - but Ryan seemed absorbed in placing the orders and took little notice.

"I think it's pathetic." A new voice muttered in disgust. "Throwing herself on him like that."

Lola.

The assistant had been seated at a nearby table, mercifully facing away from Sam so she hadn't had to deal with the constant glares the woman directed her way.

Great, the evening had just taken a turn for the worse.

With a sigh, Sam turned in her seat to face Lola. Yep, there was the usual scowl, mouth twisted as though she'd sucked a lemon.

"It doesn't make her pathetic, Lola," Sam had no idea why she was even defending the girl, but Lola's words struck a chord and could harm the poor girl's reputation. "That's not fair."

"Yeah, you would say that," Lola scoffed, eyes flashing a silent challenge at Sam, the meaning behind her words crystal clear. "Seems like some women don't mind losing their self respect for a chance to spread their legs."

Sam stiffened, feeling her hackles rise. "Excuse me?"

Did this bitch just go there? Sam's palms itched with the urge to slap the smug superiority off her face and proceed to teach her to watch her mouth with a few well placed punches.

"I need to use the ladies room!" Jane announced, shooting to her feet. Her words broke the icy tension that surrounded the table.

Her assistant aimed a silently pleading look her way. "Sam, could you please accompany me? I don't want to make the trip by myself."

It was a poor attempt at diffusing the situation, but seeing the worry in Jane's eyes, Sam forced herself to take a deep, calming breath and nodded.

It wouldn't do to get into a fight with an employee in this sort of situation, but she would definitely deal with this issue later. Lola had no right to speak to her in that manner and she wasn't going to let it go. She was done trying to ignore the rude attitude and snide words, done trying to keep the peace.

Giving Lola a silent warning, she rose to her feet and followed Jane towards the restrooms, her mind still boiling at the insult.

The restrooms mercifully wasn't crowded and by the time Sam emerged from a stall, it was just Jane standing by the sink, repairing her makeup. Her assistant paused and gave her a nervous smile.

"Uh...Sam, about Lola, just ignore her okay?" Jane began, in a hesitant tone. "I know she can be annoying with that attitude, but believe me, it's not worth getting worked up for. Most of us in the department have learned to just steer clear of her when she gets into a mood."

"And that's exactly why she thinks she can get away with it." Sam countered, crossing her arms over her chest. "She needs to be told when she's crossed the line and tonight, she's not only crossed that line, she's erased it."

Jane sighed and nodded. "I agree she was out of line tonight. But...uh...I think she's just mad that Ryan seems to like you."

Cold dread sank like lead in Sam's stomach. "What? You think Ryan and I are -?"

"Oh no, no, nothing like that." Jane cut in waving her hands frantically. "It's just that well...you two didn't exactly get along when you first started. But lately, you guys like work well together and I think she's just annoyed he doesn't rely on her as much as before for stuff like projects."

"Oh, I see." Relief poured through Sam and she heaved a sigh.

"Plus, she's had a huge crush on Ryan for a long time, since their high school days, I think. Now, far as I know, he's never acknowledged her attraction, but they're close - like almost best friends and she knows a lot about his personal life in a way none of us do. Guess that makes her a bit territorial sometimes."

Sam nodded thoughtfully, mentally running over what she'd just heard. She'd known about Lola's feelings for Ryan but she hadn't realized how far back or how close their relationship went. It did explain why Lola acted the way she did - imagine loving someone all those years and being forced to watch them get close with other women.

Still didn't excuse the bitchy attitude, but still it explained a lot.

"We should head back before they send out a search party for us." Jane said, smoothing down her hair.

****

Back at the table, Ryan gave her a questioning look as she sat down.

"You okay?" He asked, pushing a glass of clear liquid in front of her, the ice blinking against the glass. His gaze flickered over her face. "You look tense."

"I'm fine, just tired." Sam replied. She picked up the glass and took a sip, surprised to taste mineral water instead of alcohol. She shot him a look and he chuckled, picking up his own glass for a sip.

"Okay, now everyone's here and with fresh drinks, let's play." Nadia announced. "Okay, first one; never have I ever lied to get out of work."

"Oi! That's not fair." Brian yelled. "You trying to get us fired?"

"Please, like we don't already know you've pulled that stunt several times." Ryan replied with a grin. "Drink up, lazy ass."

The next few were rather tame, but like in every group where alcohol flowed, the questions got steadily raunchier as several people came up with their own questions.

"Never have I had sex in a car."

"Does getting to second base with a guy in high school count?" Jane asked with a chortle.

"Nope, sorry."

Sam laughed at the woebegone expression on Jane's face. "Hey, it's never too late to try."

"I'd have to find a boyfriend first." Jane sighed, shaking her head. "In a city this size, you'd think it'd be easy finding a decent guy, but it's like digging for a needle in the garbage bin."

"True." Nadia joined in. She cast a longing look at Ryan across the room."And when you do find someone with potential, they're not even interested."

"Especially when they find out you're a single mum." Jane added.

Sam studied Ryan from underneath her lashes. He'd joined a group of guys playing pool, and was waiting his turn, laughing at joke someone shared.

She had to agree with them that he was a decent guy, a trait that was solely lacking amongst most men of her acquaintance. He was considerate in bed - always making sure she took her pleasure first before having his own - and at work, he gave her credit when due, listened to her ideas without trying to lord it over her and had come a long way from being the jerk of the early days.

As though sensing her gaze, he looked up, his eyes locking with hers. A slow smile crept over his features, and he made a show of glancing at his watch then mouthing 'ten minutes left'.

"Never have I sent a naked selfie or dick pic." Someone shouted.

Most people drank to that accompanied by hoots of laughter and good natured ribbing. Ryan raised an eyebrow at Sam and pulled out his phone, glancing down as his fingers moved across the screen.

Moments later, her phone vibrated with an incoming text.

I would love a pic of you.

She giggled, looking up to give him a playful head shake. Nope, not happening.

Another text came in.

Five more minutes babe, then we're blowing this joint. I'll leave now and wait for you in the car, k?

She texted back an affirmative and watched as he said something to the guys then made his way out of the bar.

Sam checked her watch. Almost 9 pm. She'd give it five minutes then leave as well.

"I'm gonna head home now," She told Jane who nodded. Picking up her purse, she rose and walked out, mercifully everyone was either too inebriated or having fun to ask her anything.

The cold air hit the minute she stepped outside and she shivered, rubbing her arms to warm them. She glanced around the park, just as a pair of headlights lit up and she headed towards the black Tesla.

He had the door open for her, and a blast of heated air hit her soon as she climbed in.

"Hey beautiful." His voice warmed her up even more. And she felt the renewed clang of anticipation. In the relative dark of the car, his eyes shone with desire as he leaned over to cup her face in one palm, lifting it for a slow, sensual kiss.